Oh, the things you won’t learn in school.
The truth is, your chances of entering a career as a young professional fully prepared and equipped with the precise skill sets expected of your position are unlikely.
The world is evolving faster than ever as systems of technology, communication and collaboration improve and expand across industries.
But the good news is that businesses have come to recognize the two tools that all humans possess allowing them to combat the challenges of constant and evolving change – our innate ability to learn and adapt.
In this sense, knowledge was power. In this day and age, what you know may not be as important as what you could know.Contemporary businesses that are ahead of the curve are driven by what’s referred to as a “learning culture.”
According to the Corporate Executive Board Co. of London, a “learning culture” is an environment that supports an open mindset, as well as an independent quest for knowledge, and fosters a shared education directed towards the mission and goals of the organization.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself working with an organization that fosters a “learning culture,” by all means, take advantage of it! Otherwise, you too can create one of your own, and in result, be that much more valuable to the organization.
When I started with Buchanan Public Relations as executive assistant/office manager, there was a mutual, unspoken understanding that the position would provide me with many opportunities to learn and grow.
Although I was unfamiliar with the inner-workings of a public relations firm, the team recognized and welcomed my unleashed potential and creative energy. I was immediately able to demonstrate just how much of a chameleon millennials like myself can be. It turns out, millennials are incredibly well-suited to thrive in this kind of dependent-learning environment.
According to Bruce Tulgan, author of “Not Everyone Gets a Trophy” – a guidebook for executives seeking to work effectively with younger generations – “Millennials are comfortable in this highly interconnected, rapidly changing web of variables” that is the modern business place.
We’re multimedia literate, used to unorthodox teaching styles, and we often seek to understand the relevance of what we are learning. These attributes, blessings of the world in which we were raised, allow us to constantly direct our aim towards continuous learning and achievement.
So, how do you create a “learning culture,” if you don’t already have one to follow?
- Keep your ears open
Listen to everything that is going on around you. All information can be useful, so do your best to absorb and process as much as possible.
- Always have a pen, and a question
After your brain, the pen is the most important instrument you have to learn. Write things down when you find yourself in a setting to acquire more information and intelligence.
- Everyone knows something that you don’t
Think of everyone around you as a teacher. My dad always says, “You never learn anything from listening to yourself.” This advice has served me well, reminding me to not only listen more and talk less, but to be alert for the hidden lessons within every interaction.
- Welcome invitations
Would you like to sit in on this phone call? Yes! Could you attend this meeting with me? Of course! Want to go on a coffee run? Sure! Accept any invitation to make stronger connections and get more insight.
- Go back into the archives
Most companies will keep an organized record of past work. Taking the time to peruse these documents can give you a feel for your company’s history, style, wins and potential areas of improvement. They can also give you a better idea of the trajectory in which your company is headed.
Fellow Millennials (or learners of all ages), what strategies do you use to learn more from your company? How do you get the most out of your work day?